June 2008

Tastespotting Legal Issues?

The internet is one very strange place, apparently Tastespotting have got themselves into a bit of bother over legal issues. I have no idea what these legal issues are and would really like it if someone would drop a note. Anyway, what is Tastespotting anyway? Well, it’s a website, or rather was a website, where people could upload photos they have taken of food. What’s wrong with that?

Just about every blog on the planet has some photos of people’s food. Whether it’s food photos from restaurants or food photos they have taken at home. Even American goulash is talked about. I know that one of my friends has a blog where she often posts images for food as well as drink. People love food and want to share that love. Don’t ban Tastespotting!

Abigail Breslin at The Happening Premiere

Abigail Breslin is only 12 years old yet has already had a better career than most actors would dream of. She’s been in Sunshine, Princess Diaries 2 and Raising Helen. Anyway, the latest news is that she has turned up to the premiere of The Happening in order to support her older brother Spencer Breslin who stars in the film and is only 16 years old.

Gosh, don’t you feel guilty when you hear how succesful two young people have been. It makes me feel that I haven’t achived anything near what I should’ve. Why is it that some people are just so talented and others aren’t. Of course there is the issue of whether or not it’s good for children to have a career so early on in their lives. Perhaps it would be better for them to be out playing with their friends rather than be turning up to movie premiers and whatnot.

Swift Fuel The Best Alternative to Gas?

We’re always hearing about how biomass power plants, biodiesel and bioethanol are the future when it comes to fuel but now it seems there is a company called Swift Enterprises that have released Swift Fuel who are claiming that they have the answer to our shortage of fuel. Now, first of all, I’m so fed up of all these new products coming out all claiming to be environmentally friendly. We go jumping into the deep end assuming that it all tickety boo. But then we find out that it’s not so great because of the way they are made and how we now have a food crisis on our hands and the rainforests are being cut down to make way for palm and soy plantations.

So what I want to know is how Swift Fuel is any better. It’s derived from ethanol afterall and that’s made from plants. So how does that help us? I really don’t know. Apparently the plants used are grown on soils that aren’t so fussy meaning they can be grown in a wider variety of locations. I would really like to believe that Swift Fuel is the future but I’m going to need a lot more convincing.

Tom on 14 June, 2008 at 12:34 pm #

Swift fuel has been proven in small engine aircrafts to be 20% more efficient, can be generated from any biomass including sorgum, and they are in the process of working with the FAA on engine testing for airline aircraft and small engine aircraft. Look for a breakthrough in the next six months and an announcement from the FAA that this fuel is approved, more efficient, and less costly than other airline fuel. There are no plans to produce standard automobile gasoline, but if they can capture a share of the market in the air it will alleviate speculation on the oil market, and generate optomism going forward. Ethanol on the other hand must be mixed with gasoline to work. Swift fuel is completely biodiesel and will work without additives in existing hardware.

bbastokes on 29 July, 2008 at 9:02 pm #

I know of this Swift company and have done much research. It is not an “ethanol” based fuel at all. It can be made from crab grass that grows in the desert, or kelp from the sea. I went to an open-house at Purdue University and was blown away. This new fuel also gives our cars and planes 25% better fuel economy.

SEOGranted on 19 September, 2008 at 3:59 pm #

Hi April, found your blog on BlogCatalog. I had not heard of Swift Fuel before reading this. I used to be a real nut on the whole oil crisis, but I found the pursuit to be a tedious drag. I believe it to be modern propaganda to have people believe that our economic system is crashing.

Two Killers For Taylor Dawn Paschal-Placker and Skyla Jade Whitaker Murder

Last week two girls named Taylor Dawn Paschal-Placker and Skyla Jade Whitaker were shot down near their homes in Okfuskee County whilst they were walking to Taylor’s home for a sleep-over. After further investigation by the police it’s been discovered that there were two guns used in the shooting which means they are looking for two killers. The police are still unable to find a motive for the girls but think that the murders live locally.

Seemingly a $25,000 reward has been raised for anyone who can come forward with information about what happened. I really do hope that someone comes forward, not because of the money but because they are honest people and want the families of Taylor Dawn Paschal-Placker and Skyla Jade Whitaker to have justice. I do know that many crime cases are solved simply because the criminals have boasted about the crime to other people. For some reason they think that committing a murder is something to boast about and they would never have been caught otherwise. Whatever happens, I hope that justice can be found because it must be awful not knowing who killed your loved ones.

Soylent Green

So what does PETA have to do to give up meat? Well, it appears that one of their attempts have been to compile a list of films that would make you ditch the meat and turn to the loveliness that is vegetables and fruit. Or is that fruit and vegetables? Anyway, they have made this big list of films and one of them is Soylent Green which was made in 1974. Wow, they have really gone back in the archives to find that one. Does anyone watch old movies? Can anyone tell me if they made movies in color back then? I tease.

Having read some info about the film Soylent Green I really feel that it is truly becoming a reality, we truly need more tidal energy. It’s supposed to be Sci-Fi where the world becomes so over populated that not enough food can be grown to feed everyone. Because food is so difficult to find they have to eat this stuff called soylent green. I don’t think this is too far off the mark because when people in the likes of Africa have to be given food aid, what are they given? Usually great big bags of soy beans.

Dick Bavetta Questioned

Has Dick Bavetta been a naughty boy then? It seems that he’s been pulled in by the feds and questions about a certain thing he shouldn’t be doing: fixing a game. Dick Bavetta was a referee for NBA and perhaps has been making referee descisions he should’nt be because of the influence of money. Who knows but I don’t suppose this is the first time nor will it be the last. What is sport coming to when Dick Bavetta and other people like him just do what they like because they are spineless.

Of course, Dick Bavetta hasn’t actually been charged so remember, he’s innocent until proven guilty. Personally I don’t know but I have seen so many sports games where I have thought that the ref was being particularly unfair to one particular side. Italian football is probably the worst sport for dodgy dealing. Id don’t know if auburn football is any better. Although I won’t say any more than that in case the Mafia come for me!

Siege Audio Stealth Earbuds

Siege audio stealth earbuds seems like a product I think everyone should have. So what makes them so special? Well, it supposed to be amazing for listening to music whilst on the train, bus or some other noisy place. The Siege audio stealth earbuds work to keep out unwanted noises whilst you can listen to your 50 cent or whatever music it is that people listen to these days.

I can’t remember the last time I ever used ear buds but I do get pissed off with people on the train who insist on listening to music really loudly. I don’t know what their motives for doing this is but it might be because they want to drown out surrounding noises. Or perhaps not. I think they might just be arseholes who don’t care that they’re pissing people off with their shitty music. If I listened to the shite that these people listened to I wouldn’t want other people to know!

Mario Super Sluggers Wii Release Date

Mario Super Sluggers is going to be released for the Nintendo Wii on August 25th 2008. We all know that the Nintendo Wii is probably the biggest selling games console of all time and for a change it has got people off their butts and instead exercising. Mario Super Sluggers for the Wii is just another example of this and people will be eager to get hold of the game as soon as it’s released.

Here, you play Mario playing baseball and as usual you will need to get up onto your feet and moving about in order to play. I have read some comments about this game not having the 1:1 so it’s not as good whilst other people think that there is no problem with this and can’t understand why not having 1:1 would be a deterrent in buying the game. Seemingly having 1:1 can even cause problems with the game and should only be used for Wii Sports where no arms are used.

Katherine Patrick a Lesbian

Wow, the shocking horror of it! Katherine Patrick is a lesbian. Who cares? Is this supposed to be headline news or something? People are gay. That’s just the way it is. I hope more people come out as being gay just so that everyone gets bored and we then stop hearing about it. I don’t know why people are so strange over the fact that not everyone on the planet is built the same and that being gay isn’t a disease that can be cured. It’s just biological or something.

Anyway, despite Katherine Patrick being the daughter Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick she didn’t tell him until after there was a vote about gay marriages. I don’t know why she didn’t. The good thing is that he seems to have taken it pretty well. However the unfortunate thing is that gay marriages aren’t going to be legal. Oh well, maybe another day.

Kanab Utah Bikini Ban

If you live in Kanab Utah and you used to like wearing bikinis then you will be pleased to know that there is supposed to be a revision in the banning of bikinis at city swimming pools. However this doesn’t include all bikinis because thongs are going to probably remain banned.

I think this is a wind up surely? I know that it’s not April Fools Day but I feel that this is the sort of story that the media put out on April 1st. However there is something to be said for banning those thongs. One, it makes women with cellulite feel intimidated by all these Bay Watch Babe types strutting their stuff. And secondly, there are also the delusional few who seem to think they are the Bay Watch Babe types despite the fact that they weigh 20 stone and have enough cellulite to start a cottage cheese factory.

In many cultures they don’t think that too much flesh should be shown in public, and although I’m not quite so prudish, sometimes I think it would be better that certain parts of the body should be kept private.

Juanita Poitier

It appears that everyone wants to know about Juanita Poitier and who she etc. Well, she was the wife of Sidney Pitier and he has this new book out where he writes letters to his granddaughter about his marriage to Juanita Poitier amongst other things. His book “Life Beyond Measure, Letters to My Great-Granddaughter” was inspired when he saw his grandaughter in the arms of his daughter when she was born in 2005. It was a very moving experience for him and because he was almost 80 at the time he felt compeled to write about his life. Not is movie career but his personal life.

Funny thing is, I thought that Sidney Pitier was dead. I had no idea that he was still alive however he is getting pretty old at 81 years old so it’s just as well that he’s set about writing this book because he might not be around for that long being that old. I think that’s a horrible thing for me to say but oh well. You never know when you are going to die whatever age you are.

Elizabeth Smart

Remember Elizabeth Smart, she was taken from her home for a period of nine months some 6 years ago. Luckily she got home to her family safely but now that time has passed she has been interviewed so that other abductees might feel consoled by her story and perhaps give them strength. I think she must be a very brave girl to have gone through this and be able to talk about it.

People who suddenly go missing without a trace is a very sensitive subject and there have been so many high profile cases of children being abducted. Some children we never hear of again whilst others are luckily found within a relative short period of time. I think it must be awful for the ones left behind because you don’t know what has happened to them; whether they are dead or alive. I certainly don’t know if we’ll ever find out what happened to Madeline McCann. Sometimes however it can take years to find out the truth and unfortunately the truth might me murder.

Tales of Vesperia Release Date For Xbox

Tales of Vesperia is set to be one of the most sought after games in the gaming industry. The release date for for the console game on Xbox 360 has been set for August 7th, 2008 in Japan and America. However for those Xbox 360 owners in Europe, you will have to wait until sometime next year. Don’t ask me why, I have no idea. I don’t understand why companies don’t just release a product internationally and be done with it. Maybe it has something to do with production numbers. Who knows.

If you have the Xbox Live then you can download a demo of the game later this month which I think is really cool. I don’t play games consoles any more but what I used to hate was the fact that I’d buy a game and realize it was total utter shite but couldn’t return it. These games can cost quite a lot of money too so you want to make sure that you will actually enjoy it for quite some time ahead.

I hope that people can afford to buy all this sort of stuff. I think it’s pretty expensive. Although a discount xbox for sale is possible.

Warren G Harding Was The First Black President?

So it would appear that having a black President wouldn’t be all that bad because there already was one because Warren G Harding’s father was of mixed race. Um, I think this is a pretty good bit of spin because the Americans are going to think “Oh, having a black president before was OK so perhaps having a black president now will be OK too.”

Or will they really think that? Personally I think the whole argument about race is just silly. What does it really matter if a President is black or not? I beleive that you should judge people on their actions rather than their color or background. I wouldn’t like people to judge me based on where I’m from or what I look like. I’m sure that there is a bit of mixed race in all of us. There have been some cases where a white couple have given birth to a black child simply because there has been a black gene lying dormant for a number of generations and for whatever reason that gene pops back up.

I’ve got some Maltese blood in me. Now, Malta was a very busy cross roads for Europe and Africa and so perhaps I have some African blood in me that I don’t know about. Does that make me any less of a person? Please judge Barack Obama on what he says and what he has done. This is a much better way to choose a President rather than base your decision on looks alone.

Ruth Sigue Stabbed by Peter Ng in Somerset County

The horrific news is that a man named Peter Ng has killed his wife Ruth Sigue and then he drowned himself in the Hudson River. This is just horrible news and he did all this after taking his two children to relatives. I have no idea what drove Peter Ng to such an awful act but seemingly is has some connection with domestic violence.

It’s terrible to think that domestic violence exists in today’s world and I will never understand why some one who is supposedly in love will resort to violence of any type - whether it’s physical or mental abuse. With these situations it’s very difficult for anyone to even know that there is something wrong because both parties do such a good job at hiding what is happening.

I think it’s important to understand more about domestic violence and what can be done about it. Of course, learning about the warning signs of battered wives. Men who are alcoholics can really change personality and they can be perfectly kind and gentle whilst sober but once they have a drink in them this can all change. Drugs can be another big problem and even the middle classes are taking drugs. Another sign can be lack of patience and the demanding of everything being done properly.

jamy on 2 July, 2008 at 12:16 am #

Mr. Peter Ng is a coward and selfish person. He is just thinking about himself. I feel sad about the children and their future. Ruth is a person thats full of life. She is one of my

good friends.She will always be remembered as a good mom to her kids and a good friend to everyone who have known her. She is a very compassionate nurse!!!

Stephanie Miller Female Athlete of the Year

Congratulations to Stephanie Miller for winning the The Daily & Sunday Review 2007-08 All-Region Female Athlete of the Year. In a culture where young people are spending more and more time watching TV and playing games consoles it’s great to see that there are still young people who want to get out and start getting fit and healthy by doing something that they enjoy.

Although there are a number of reports about how games consoles such as the Nintendo Wii can make you fit, I really don’t think that it could ever replace simply getting out there and joining a team. Whether it be basketball, volleyball or tennis. We really need more young people to get active and start winning medals when it comes to the likes of the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games.

I’ve never been into competitive sports myself but I can understand how good they must be for those who want to learn how to develop a team spirit and learn to be assertive. You certainly need these qualities in the “real world”, especially if you are getting into business and need to get a compeitive edge. Girls sports should be encouraged. Being fit and healthy is so important for many aspects of your lives and one reason it’s so great is dealing with stress. If you are working in a business situation you will find that you get very stressed and finding ways to get rid of that stress is fantastic. Some people play their Nintendo Wii whilst others join the gym or a sports team. Whatever you do, have some fun too, oh and also learn some stretching routines.

PUMA: Party Unity My Ass

As a Brit I find the whole American system for deciding on a President somewhat different to what I’m used to. As I have watched so many news reports about the subject I always found it very strange for Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama to be at each others throats all the time despite being members of the same political party.

Of course, now that Hilary Clinton has conceded, she looks to be pretty eager to get back into Barack Obama’s good books. So it’s no wonder that this sudden change in behaviour has spurred Hilary Clinton’s followers to create PUMA which supposedly stands for Party Unity My Ass but now they’ve done a U-turn too and say that it’s actually People United Means Action.

Who knows what’s going on in their heads but I look forward to finding out what unfolds in the Democrat camp anyway.

Samsung Instinct (Sprint) Release Date

Samsung Instinct (Sprint) is due to be released on June 20th which of course is pretty much right after the Apple iPhone G3. I wonder what gadget geeks will make of it. I mean, what phone will people choose because most people don’t tend to have more than one phone. Who knows what phone is best as it seems that the Samsung Instinct (Sprint) is pretty much a copy of the original iPhone anyway as it can do all the same things like being touch operated and has multimedia.

Apparently the Samsung Instinct (Sprint) is a much better improvement on the Samsung Glyde which wasn’t that great to use and wasn’t that instinctive. Personally I would choose the iPhone over the Samsung Instinct (Sprint) simply because of looks. But what do I know?! I really don’t know anything about such matters and I don’t even own a cell phone that can take pictures let alone do any of the things that the Samsung Instinct (Sprint) can do.

Kenny Stabler’s 3rd DUI Charge

People like Kenny Stabler make me sick. They seem to think they are above the law can can drive around drunk just because they want to and that they are famous. Everyday we hear reports of people dying on the roads because of drink driving, speeding and also drug driving. I think that people should have their driving license taken away from them as soon as the make an obviously illegal action such as drink driving. It’s not as if there isn’t enough knowledge about drink driving laws. There are so many campaigns telling us how just being a little bit over the alcoholic limit can severely impair our reaction times and judgement.

So what happens if you are like Kenny Stabler and find yourself charged with DUI? Well, first of all you’ll be hit with a fine for hundreds of dollars, then you’ll have points on your driving license, you might be banned from driving, you’ll end up in court and possibly find yourself in jail. Of course, if you have also killed someone whilst driving under the influence, you’ll also have to deal with the massive guilt of knowing what you have done.

It’s reported that about a third of all car-related fatalaties are caused by DUI which equated to about 13,470 deaths in 2006 in the US alone simply because there are people like Kenny Stabler allowed to drive about.

Of course, it doesn’t help that alcohol is now much stronger than it used to be and they are being served in ever increasingly large glasses. It’s very difficult to know exactly how much you have had to drink and whether you are over the limit or not. In the UK it used to be that a glass of wine equalled 1 point but now it can be as high as 3 points meaning that the drinker is over the limit. This is why I have decided not to drink a single drop of alcohol if I know I’m going to be driving. Even if I am having a meal with the alcohol I don’t want to risk driving under the influence. OK, so there are some really shit hot lawyers who can get people off from DUI, but that’s not the point. Our own morals should be enough to stop DUI from happening without worring about lawyers, fines and penalty points.

Elliot Savry Killed by DUI Janette L. Eason

This is just disgusting, a woman named Janette L. Eason from Dallas has just killed a 14 year old boy Elliot Savry because she was driving under the inflence of alcohol. It seems this isn’t the only time she has been drunk behind the wheel either. She’s had 2 DUI convictions along with 5 arrests. I don’t know how she’s been allowed to continue driving.

It’s so frustrating to hear stories like this and often people who are close to the likes of Janette Eason are powerless to do anything about the drink problem. I just remember one of our neighbours was pulled over by the police because he was 5 times over the alcoholic limit. We really tried to help him, my mum phoned Alcoholics Anonymous and we gave him a job in hope that this would help with his depression but it didn’t work. Like they say in AA, you need admit that you have a problem before you can do anything else.

I don’t know what sort of help she has received in the past about he alcohol abuse but either it wasn’t enough or she’s just evil. Although I get the feeling that alcohol tends to take over people and make them act in ways they might normally do so. I don’t know why some people become addicted to alcohol whilst others aren’t. Perhaps it’s something in the genes?

Anyway, something major really needs to be done about DUI because there just seems to be so many news reports about the subject. Unfortunately, it always seems to be that the innocent party is the one that’s killed whilst the person actually drink driving comes away unscathed.

Ruben Royce In Prison For Robbing Josh Holloway

Whew, it’s good to hear that bastard Ruben Royce is in jail for all his crimes he commited against Josh Holloway and other people in a period of 3 weeks. For his crimes, Ruben Royce is going to prison for between 13 and 30 years.

Any crime is very scary but any that invloves guns is particulary scary when you consider it’s very difficult to defend yourself from someone with a gun. There seems to be more and more crimes commited with guns and it’s a very worrying trend. I’m not sure that it’s ever going to end.

Havng done a bit more research on this criminal Ruben Royce, it would seem that he has “form”. His own mother had to take out a restrainging order against him, saying “I helped his pregnant girlfriend, who he beat up on Aug. 31, to file charges. I feel he will want revenge.”

What is causing people like this to commit such crimes? What have they got against other people? Perhaps it’s jealousy that other people have what he wants. Or perhaps they’re just born this way. Certainly I have seen documentaries investigating why people do this and it might be that they’re just born that way rather than a product of their upbringing. Couples can have several children, all of which are perfectly normal but they have one child who is just an evil bastard.

No matter how many police officers we have or how many jails we build, there will always be people turning to crime and it’s never going to change. I wish that we could some how just wipe these people off the face of the earth so that they don’t get the chance to pass their “evil gene” to future generations.

MG on 4 June, 2008 at 10:07 am #

I dated Ruben when we were 14, he had a very troubled life even then. First of that is not his mother, she is his foster mother. If she was a real mom she would have used some of her Hawaii Kai wealth to put Ruben in treatment when he was younger. He was already drinking at 14, smoking pot, and probably other stuff too. I used to get phone calls gang members (or his friends) saying they had murdered him, or cut him up, or that they were going to come after me and my family if I didn’t tell them where Ruben was. I am just glad I got out of Hawaii and served my country and became a better person. If someone would have given Ruben some love and attention and some treatment this would have never happened. SO DON’T CALL HIM THE EVIL BASTARD CHILD! Please get you facts straight as I said that is not his paternal mother. Have you ever done Crystal Meth or knew someone on it? You’ll have your answer right there and in his growing up. Many many many people in Hawaii fall victim to crystal meth and some never get out of it.

Dividen stocks on 4 June, 2008 at 5:45 pm #

I think meth is worse than any other drug now. People just seem to have to have it every minute of the day and will do anything they can to get more

Francois Pienaar to be Played by Matt Damon

Francois Pienaar is to be played by Matt Damon in a new movie The Human Factor which will be directed by Clint Eastwood. Francois Pienaar was born in 1967 to a working class Afrikaner family and played rugby for the South African national team Springboks between 1993 and 1996. When the 1995 rugby world cup was to be held in South Africa things didn’t look too good for the team. SA were only 9th in the world yet Australia were the champions.

Although at that time the Springboks only had one colored team player, Nelson Mandela made sure he supported the team and encouraged the whole of SA to get together and support the national team. Not only did Francois Pienaar help the team to beat Australia but they also beat Romania, Canada, Western Samoa and France. Despite Francois Pienaar suffering from calf strain, he kept on playing and they eventually won against New Zealand to win the cup.

After the momentous game, Nelson Mandela wore the Springboks’ team shirt complete with Francois Pienaar’s number on it in order to present the Webb Ellis trophy. When Francois Pienaar made the acceptance speach he made it very clear to his country that this cup wasn’t just for those at the stadium but for each and every South African citizen.

In 1996 Francois Pienaar was dropped from the team because the coach thought that he pretended to be injured during one of the games. After this insult, Francois Pienaar left for England where he has had a very sucessful career where Francois Pienaar became the coach for the Sarcens who then went on to win the Pilkington Cup. Rugby coaching seems like an interestin subject.

In 2000 Francois Pienaar retired from playing rugby and became the CEO of the Sarcens only to leave in 2002 due to lack of success. He now lives by in South Africa with his wife Nerine Winter and his two sons. One of his sons is even lucky enough to have Nelson Mandella as a godfather.

Kate Walsh Supports Obama

Kate Walsh, Greys Anatomy actress it appears give a whole hearted support to Obama who is now the Democrat’s official leader. I think it’s great that so many celebrities are giving him thier support because it will help the masses take more of an interest in politics. All too often people don’t care about politics thinking that all parties are as bad as each other. However this really isn’t true because one thing is for sure, in the UK the Conservatives were one of the worst governments ever and Labour have been a whole load better despite their faults. I just hope that Obama can live up to people’s expectations and not get let down.

Johnny Jackson Dry Drowning

Johnny Jackson is a boy who has recently just drowned because he swallowed some water whilst in a swimming pool. Of course, swallowing water in a pool is pretty normal but unfortunately what happened to Johnny Jackson was that some of the water got into his lungs. When he got out of the pool he felt unwell and so laid down in hope of feeling better. It was only a while later that he developed problems with his breathing and later died in Trident Hospital.

My heart really goes out to Johnny Jackson’s family. This dry drowning certainly isn’t something I’ve ever heard of before and I can’t tell you the number of times I have swallowed water and had difficulty breathing and even been physically sick. I’m a terrible swimmer but I thought that this behaviour was perfectly normal. I think that this is a good lesson for everyone who sees someone who is having difficulty in breathing in the water because it could be that they’re suffering from dry drowning and should seek medical help.

Is Solar Power a Better Alternative to Pepco?

Too bad if your a Pepco customer because it seems that you must be pretty used to power outages by now. It really makes you wonder if there is a better way. I mean, is it wise to rely on the mains grid for electricity when you could probably make your own using solar roofing shingles, wind turbines and even geothermal. There are actually a lot of options available to you and probably would be able to let go of your dependancy on companies like Pepco.

However it really depends on where you live and what sort of property you have. For solar power you live somewhere sunny like Florida then you shouldn’t have any problems with a shortage of sunlight but for those further north it can be more of a problem. That’s not to say that you can’t use solar power but it just won’t be as effective. You need to make sure that you place the panels on a south facing roof and it helps a lot if it’s placed at an angle so that it can get the most of the sun. Anyway, it’s just an idea and one that people might start to consider more when they are let down by the electrity companies.

In addition to solar panels you might also want to look at various solar powered products such as solar lighting, fish pond fountains, birdbath fountains and battery chargers. One other advantage to some of these solar products is that you don’t need any wireing which is great if you aren’t much of an electrician. And let’s face it, who is!

Black Lung Disease on Morgan Spurlock’s 30 Days

I find that Morgan Spurlock’s series 30 Days to be really fascinating and a definate eye opener. In the first of this series, Mogan Spurlock worked as a coal miner for 30 days to see if you would develop black lung. If you have never heard of black lung before, you should know that it’s a condition that affects coal miners. It would seem that America still has coal mines unlike Britain who has Margaret Thatcher to blame for that (!).

You have a much more likely chance of developing black lung if you inhale coal dust over a period of many years which is why people tend to suffer from it over the age of 50. As the name suggests, black lung really does turn the lungs black which is certainly not the way they should be. Healthy lungs are pink.

Luckily because of laws brought in a number of years ago, black lung is much less likely because the coal dust levels have been reduced from 8.0 mg. per cubic meter to only 2.0. However lung cancer is still possible. Many of those who have contracted black lung have taken their employer to court in order to claim damages. As a result there are lawyers who specialize in black lung.

Of course, there are people who damage to their lungs through smoking which is a terrible thing. They know what they are doing yet they start smoking or at least continue. I don’t know whay people would ever consider doing such a silly hting but if you want methods to stop smoking then you should do reseach on the subject.

Congrats To Obama

Well done to Obama for knocking Hillary Clinton out of the running. Right from the beginning I’ve been looking forward to Obama for doing this. I really didn’t want Hillary to win, partly because she’s a woman. Yes that’s right. It’s just that I’m known as a “Thatcher’s child” and Margaret Thatcher was the worst thing to ever have happened to Britain. I think women in power feel that they have to be more of a “man” than than the men. They see femininity as a weakness rather than a strength and do make decisions that are harsh and unsensitive.

Perhaps it’s wrong of me to say that but this is the impression I get, also you just have to watch shows like the Apprentice to realize that women have always got something to prove and can’t be seen to back down as this is a sign of weakness. This of course can be their downfall.

Max Sullivan-Webb Dies in Flooding, Witney, Oxfordshire

The sad news that Max Sullivan-Webb (17) has died in flooding is of great sadness. Max Sullivan-Webb and some friends were playing around in an area of flooded water when Max Sullivan-Webb and a friend became trapped in a culvert (a sort of concrete tunnel). Luckily his friend was rescued and taken to hospital.

I think this sort of tragic news makes us realize just how short life can be and you never know when it’s going to be snatched away from you. It’s difficult to know if there could have been anything done to prevent this death. Max Sullivan-Webb died because he was trapped in the culvert which has metal bars to prvent a build-up of weeds. However this is what probably caused his death. Who knows if these culverts should be taken away or whether it’s simply “one of those things”.

Many people complain about Britain being a nanny state and how we’re always told not to do this and not to do that. But perhaps it’s incidents such as these that makes us realize why there are so many different regulations in place?

Man Killed by Police in Lakeview, New Orleans

The sad news is that a mentally ill man has just been killed by Police in Lakeview, New Orleans. The man had been living in an area of New Orleans which was badly affected by Hurricane Katrina and he ordered, at gun point, workers on the federally supplied trailer site to take a trailer to an overgorwn lot in Lakeview.

This whole situation is sad for a number of reasons. First of all, Hurricane Katrina occurred almost 3 years ago and yet large areas of New Orleans are still in a major state of disrepair. I find this to be flabergasting when you consider America is supposed to be the most wealthy country in the world. Yet the government allows people to live in trailer parks for all this time.

Secondly, you hear all the time about people who have mental problems but for whatever reason haven’t received treatment. I don’t know if anyone is to blame for this specifically but it might be a lesson to us all to ensure that loved ones get mental help if they need it. By doing so, preventing tragedies like this might actually be possible.

Leanna Elizalde Can’t Graduate Because of Cancer Treatments

It’s terrible to hear that Leanna Elizalde can’t graduate along with her class mater because she was behind with one of her papers due to having cancer treatment. OK, so technically she hasn’t passed all her exams but surely she should be allowed to graduate and then be allowed to complete the course fully over the summer.

Dealing with cancer must be difficult enough, both physically and mentally, without having to deal with this. For many people it’s a wonderful experience to graduate and helps make the who study process worth it. It must have been so upsetting for Leanna Elizalde to find out that she can’t graduate. You would think that an exception would be made.

That’s the problem with society today, it’s full of “jobsworths” who only want to stick to the rules. Sometimes we need to throw the rules out of the window becuase we are humans at the end of the day and rules don’t always make us happy.

Israel Mireles to be Extradited For Zoe Zane Murder

A step has been made for justice in the form of Israel Mireles being extradited from Mexico according to the attorney general’s office in Kansas. I’m so glad that this has been done because I think a lot of people watch movies on how people just go off to Mexico in order not to be caught by the police.

Sickos like Israel Mireles should be taken off the streets for good so that no other poor girl like Zoe Zane has to be killed in such a cruel manner. Just because Zoe Zane was an internet porn star doesn’t give anyone the right to take her life. There are so many people in the sex industry who have been murdered because they are seen as scum.

Anyone can turn to porn or prostitution and you never know who is in the industry. People find themselves in financial problems and it’s very easy to think that this sort of thing is easy money. Unfortunately there will always be evil people like Israel Mireles around and it makes me scared and angry.

Haden Stusak Saves Josiah Buddah From Drowning

Wow, Haden Stusak is pretty young for a hero but that is certainly what he is despite only being 6 years old. Whilst his friend Josiah Buddah was drowning in a swimming pool, Haden Stusak came to his rescue. God only knows what would’ve happened if Haden Stusak hadn’t been around, one of the adults there noticed a “shadow” at the bottom of the pool but didn’t know what it was. It was only when Haden Stusak decided to swim down there that he found is friend.

I think it’s amazing that Haden Stusak is such a good swimmer because it will really come useful in future situations I’m sure. I was never brought up to swim from such a young age and as a result I’m pretty terrible at swimming. I certainly wouldn’t have been any use at that age, or even now for that matter!

I hope that this is a lesson to everyone to make sure that you teach your child to start swimming from a very earily stage and also make sure that you keep an eye on them at all times. It just takes you to look away for a second for something to happen and you would never forgive yourself if your child drowned. I wonder if Josiah Buddah will become a life guard when he grows up? He certainly has had some practice already!

Scion Hako Concept Car

Have you seen the photos of the Scion Hako concept car? What do you think of it? Well, sorry, but I don’t think I can actually print me first response to it. It’s just so effing horrible! I think it’s got to be the most ugly car ever produced and was designed by someone in the advances stages of cataracts.

Also, with all this talk of being environmentally friendly, hypermiling and biodiesel, the actual design of the Scion Hako can’t be condusive for fuel efficiency. I mean, it’s got the aerodynamic properties of a brick! I just remember when I was at college and we had to design a car, I saw photos of old fashioned cars such as the AC Ace in a wind tunnel and the aerodynamic properties were terrible.

If the Scion Hako may well be considered a concept car today but I’m sure the designers think that this is supposed to be the future. I really hope not, I don’t think I could stand at looking at loads of similar looking cars as this!

Rev. Michael Pfleger Suspended Because of Clinton Jokes

Rev. Michael Pfleger made jokes at Sen. Barack Obama’s former church about how Hillary Clinton doesn;t want Sen. Barack Obama to become president because he is black. Apparently Cardinal Francis George wasn’t at all impressed which is why Rev. Michael Pfleger has been temporarily asked to stand down.

I think the whole thing is a complete farse and should be used for a plot in a sitcom. There used to be an Irish sitcom I loved called Father Ted. It basically featured 3 miss-fit priests who had at some point caused embarrasment to the church and so were sent to Craggy Island where they couldn’t do any harm.

It just seems like the story with Rev. Michael Pfleger is something that Father Ted would’ve got into trouble about with Bishop Brenan. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I suggest you head over to youtube and watch some videos.

Hypermiling To Increase Gas Efficiency

Hypermiling is something you might never have heard of before but with all the talk of gas prices going skyward, people are keen to find out more and more about fuel efficiency. About time too. In the UK, America has been seen as the “gas guzzling” epicenter of the world so it’s pretty heartening to find out that people are wanting to change their ways.

Basically hypermiling is a fany word that basically means that when you drive your car, you drive in a style that is going conserve as much fuel as possible. I aways try to do this anyway but here are some tips if you haven’t heard of the concept of hypermiling before:-

When you are about to drive up a hill, you should actually put your foot on the gas to get the car’s speed up. This gives your car momemntum, or kinetic energy, to get up the hill easier. It’s the same concept that allows scateboarders and BMX bikers to go down one side of the ramp and up the other.

Avoid going over 65mph as this is when your car suddenly starts to use up more gas.

If you see the traffic lights up ahead are red then simply take your foot off the gas and allow the car to naturally slow down. Unfortunately when I do this, I also see plenty of cars zooming past me only to slam on their brakes. This is really bad for fuel economy and it will also wear out your brakes quicker!

Don’t carry anything more in your car than you have to. It’s amazing how much more fuel you will use up if you carry around loads of stuff like golf clubs and bicylces.

If you are sitting in your car wilst it’s parked, please don’t keep the engine running so you can have a nice blast of cold air from the air con. You might feel more comfortable but you are using up a lot of fuel. Plus in many areas this behaviour is illegal so you could end up with a fine if you are caught.

I watched a TV show some weeks ago on this very topic and they had a number of people try out different techniques. One man who changed he driving technique, saved 30% on his fuel consumption. Now you can’t really argue with those savings!

Herbert Plant Wins Lottery

Herbert Plant has just won £2.6 million on the lottery. So why is this such a big deal? Well, it’s because he used to be homeless. At the moment Herbert Plant, who is 49 and from Blackpole in Worcester, works as a chef in a hostel that took him in. I think that’s so amazing because we tend to think that homelessness hapens to other people but the fact is that it could easily happen to us.

We live in a world obsessed with stuff like expensive sports cars and jewellery but can you imagine being homeless? Not having anywhere to call home, wondering if you’re going to get any food that night or some shelter. It must be horrible and we tend to walk past these people as if they are invisible.

Hopefully this lottery win won’t change Herbert Plant too much and he plans to keep his job as a chef although he’s looking to buy a car and pay off his son’s mortgage. Good on you mate!

Colleen McGraham Suspended Over Crush on Student

Colleen McGraham has just been given an un-paid supension from her job as a teacher because she wrote blog posts about how she was in love with one of her school students who was only 15 at the time. Seemingly Colleen McGraham approached the boy about her feelings but he simply reported her to another teacher.

This of course is just one such story like this. We are hearing all the time about teachers falling for students and of course there are many more times that number of students who develop a crush for their teacher. But what is the best way to deal with such situations? Quite often teachers are only about 5 years older then the children they are teaching so it’s often very difficult to detach their emotions. However at the same time, teachers need to be responsible for their actions.

Unfortunately there have also been so many reports of students making false allegations about their teachers and those teachers then are struck off because of no fault of their own. I find it difficult to pass judgement on Colleen McGraham simply because I don’t know the full background of what happened and all too often people lie and make false allegations.

However it does bring up the question relatin to “do you know what your kids are up to” You can’t really tell what they are doing without hiring a private detective to follow them about everywheere. For instance social networking is all the rage these days but it’s also very unsafe if your kids don’t know what they’re really doing.

Lesbian Vampire Killers Cameo Role For Lilly Allen

Lilly Allen, the girl with 3 nipples, is supposed to start filming for a movie called Lesbian Vampire Killers. Ans sure enough, Lilly Allen is going to play the part of a lesbian vampire. I’ve seen a few vampire movies in my time and this seems the oddest. I suppose men have a weird fantasy over vampiresses and also lesbian lovers so this film should tick a few boxes for the men.

Other popular names to be featured in the movie include Gavin and Stacey’s Mathew Horne and James Corden. As you might have guessed Lesbian Vampire Killers is going to be a comedy based on the fact that women have been enslaved by a group of lesbian vampires and it’s the men of the Welsh villiage to save them.

I have no idea what the film is going to be like but my guess is that it’s maybe going to be similar to Shaun of the Dead starring Simon Pegg.

Fern Britton Admits to Gastric Band Surgery

I have to admit that I’m smidgen disappointed that Fern Britton had a Gastric Band fitted 2 years ago. I have noticed that she has lost a tremendous amount of weight and I thought this was all purely because of her passion for cycling. Although Fern Britton says that she did lose weight by eating healthy and exercising, I’m just not sure why she then felt the need for the gastric band.

Anyway, she says that she didn’t feel the need to tell everybody about it because it’s private but because the media were making speculations she decided to announce it on This Morning today.

Where does this leave people who are in a similar situation that Fern was in? Do they try and eat healthy and exercise or do they go for the “lazy” option and get a gastric band fitted?

First of all, a gastric band (aka lap band) is never a “lazy” option and is really just reserved for those who have tried numerous diets without success and feel that they cannot lose weight by any other method. There have been a number of different types of weight loss surgery available in recent years but the gastric band is considered to be the least invasive option.

The reason it is less invasive is because small key-hole incisions are made which helps to prevent scarring. The possible risks, side effects and complications are much lower. The gastric band which is fitted can be tightened or loosened depending on how the patient is progressing with the weight loss.

The great thing about this procedure is that in order for the tightness to be adjusted, the patient doesn’t actually have to undergo further surgery. If you decide to have the surgery and some time later decide you want it removed then you can have this done very easily.

Many people think of gastric band surgery as being a procedure that is used for purely cosmetic purposes. Many women dream of being able to sit on the beach wearing nothing but a skimpy bikini. However it’s very important that you realize that weight loss is more than just your physical appearance. Being obese also causes many health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.

If you are currently over weight you should certainly consider all your options and talk to your doctor about healthy weight loss. So many people don’t like to think of the negative impact fat has on their bodies but it is something you should take care of, if not for yourself but for your loved ones.

Gina Gerson and Bill Clinton Affair?

Have you heard about Gina Gerson and Bill Clinton? Few couples have had such public marriage problems as Hillary and Bill Clinton. We all know that Bill Clinton has an eye for the ladies and the Monica Lewinsky scandal was probably the most talked about affairs in the world.

However for poor Hillary it seems that Vanity Fair has published an article claiming that Bill Clinton has been seeing lots of women on “the road”. One woman who has been named is Gina Gerson.

This might be juicy gossip to some people but to others it simply reflects the marriage problems they are experiencing themselves due to an affair. This is certainly not an uncommon thing to happen and whilst many couples do split up forever, there are still a good number that find help and manage to get through these turbulent times.

Often when couples attend marriage counselling, the partner who commits the affair simply wants to brush the whole thing under the carpet and pretend that it didn’t happen. However the other partner really needs to think about what has happened and work out how they really feel.

The biggest hurdle when dealing with marriage problems caused by an affair is re-building trust. When you are in love you don’t think that an affair could ever happen but when it does, it can come as an amazing shock. You will view your partner in a very different light.

Trust won’t be rebuilt overnight and you have to understand that there is no time schedule for it. Trust will be rebuild when it’s rebuilt and no sooner. Just remember that marriages do recover and there is no reason why yours can’t too.

Both parties need to accept what happened and not try to make excuses for it. Affairs are terrible things to happen and you need to realize this before you can move on. The person who committed the affair should avoid trying to lay blame for his or hers actions.

When a partner asks a question about what happened and why then the answer should be as honest as possible and don’t try to skirt around it as if it’s not important. Answering these questions aren’t going to be easy, but solving marriage problems never are.

Who know if the claims about Gina Gerson are true, sometimes the allegations are just as bad and can cause marriage problems even if no affair took place. Check out this article: signs he is cheating and also How to Fight Fair in a Marriage.

Hestrie Cloete Has a Baby Boy

Congratulations to Hestrie Cloete (two-time world champion high jumper) for just having a baby boy. The problem her and her husband are facing at the moment however is what name to give their baby. I’m sure that this is a problem that many new parents have to face and even although they’ll have known for months about their expecting baby, it’s still vary difficult to come up with a name.

Many people have certain names in their family that are often used. For instance, I know of a family where Alexander and Alasdair are used alternately for as long as the male line continues. A baby’s first name should also ideally sound good with the surname so make sure you say the full name out loud plenty of times to ensure there is a nice “ring” to it.

Another thing that you could easily not realize at the time is that you could choose names where the initials spell out a silly or rude name such as Thomas Indigo Taylor would be T.I.T. Can you imagine the teasing this boy would receive at school?

Some people also inadvertently spell their child’s name wrong. Only just the other day my boyfriend noticed that someone had spelt their name wrong on some graffiti. You should also think about how easy the name is to spell or pronounce. If you choose something overly difficult then your child is only going get their mail sent to the wrong person or have people mispronounce their name all the time.

Choosing a name which is difficult to spell or pronounce is one problem but the other problem could be that you choose a name which is very common and so there are then multiple children in the same class at school with the same name and that can get confusing.

Unfortunately, us humans are very judgemental and will make decisions about people based on how they look and dress. A problem can occur where your adult child is judged by their name before even meeting them which might cause problems in job interviews etc. A silly name might not give your child the respect they deserve. Moon Unit might be OK for the child of Frank Zappa but for an accountant or surgeon it might not give the best impression.

Fashions in baby names often come and go depending on what celebrities are popular at the time. Perhaps it would be best to go with a more traditional Jewish name like Joshua or a Scottish name like Callum. Who knows what Hestrie Cloete but I hope her and her husband can make a decision they both agree on.